Dueling bills aim to restructure state ports

In a show of force, a large group of Hampton Roads lawmakers announced plans to restructure the management of the ports while reining in the governor's ability to lease or sell off operating rights at the state-run terminals.

At a press conference Tuesday, flanked by a bipartisan group of legislators, Del. S. Chris Jones, R-Suffolk, said legislation he plans to file this week would allow for a number of organizational reforms, including elimination of people performing identical job functions at the Virginia Port Authority and the state-formed nonprofit operating company, Virginia International Terminals.

In addition to "right-sizing" the port, Jones said his legislation would bar companies from filing unsolicited proposals to take over port operations, like APM Terminal did in the Spring when it proposed a plan to purchase the right to run five VIT terminals for up to 48 years.

Jones told reporters the surprise offer put the state in a defensive position. His bill, he said, would create a more orderly process for strategically allowing the state to seek out private industry help at the ports "on our terms."

The governor's office is also working on legislation, which it plans to file by the end of the week, that could take a very different path to reforming the ports' management.

"The governor's bill is focused on reforming the current organization in order to increase accountability and transparency, reduce costs, streamline functions and generally make VPA/VIT more efficient," said McDonnell spokesman Jeff Caldwell.

In a statement about the bipartisan reform effort, Caldwell said the McDonnell administration is glad lawmakers are studying possible reforms but committed as ever to teaming up with private companies when partnerships make sense.

"A long standing tenet of Virginia governance is limited government and relying on the private sector whenever it can provide greater efficiency and save taxpayer dollars," he said.

"The governor has made clear that the status quo (at the ports) is not acceptable and that the current organization needs to be reformed or a new operator installed to improve the state's terminal performance."